Eld
“O! Blessed Creator! How loved am I who is held in the Fabric of God? How great is the power thou wieldest against the Darkness? What majesty adorns the home of thou who dwellest amidst the stars? For thou hast created many things: I behold the intricacies of the Tapestry; I behold the delicacy of thy designs. For indeed I know that thou art with me against the Darkness, For I look upon the works of thy great hands And I see thee there.” – Psalm to Eld, of elvish origin Eld ɛld is considered by all people to be the Godhead – the author and creator of all things, who alone wove the Great Fabric and gave life to everything therein. Whilst most mortals worship Eld, some fear Eld’s authority, desiring instead to amass their own power and influence to be comparable to Eld’s ultimate self. Eld is incorporeal, existing outside of the Fabric but dwelling within it. Usually beyond mortal comprehension, Eld often takes on the forms of the Children of Eld to walk in the worlds and converse with the Children. Eld rejoices when the Children find joy and love within the pleasures of their worlds, and expects the Children to imitate Eld’s compassion, mercy, and affection. Creator of All Things In the beginning, Eld wove the Fabric of Reality from speech, turning words into threads of delicate fibres with which to weave and embroider all life. Only Eld can create or permanently destroy the Fabric. At first, Eld wove living beings and the worlds they inhabit and named them the Children of Eld. Later, when in the throes of war, illithid scientist created tieflings, and when during the lasting peace new races evolved, Eld endowed them all with souls and life, and so every living being, regardless of its origin, owes its existence to Eld. Omnipotent and Omniscient Eld is the only being truly omnipotent, able not only to manipulate the Fabric at will, but to create and destroy it. Understood to be omniscient, Eld has a gaze which pierces cloud, rock, and flesh, and so Eld knows all things which may come to pass, and watches mortals as they determine the course of time. Grace, Love, and Mercy All of creation rests in the love of Eld, which is unconditional and eternal. From this love flows Eld’s infinite grace, which is available to all who wish to receive it and withheld from none, regardless of their actions, desires, or estimation of Eld. Boundless mercy flows too from Eld’s love, with compassion and forgiveness waiting for all the Children of Eld. Worship of Eld The forms of the worship of Eld varies from world to world. Some worlds, like Aedavar, have temples spread throughout the lands with dedicated offices of worship. Others rejoice in Eld in the silent meditation of their hearts. Where there is organised worship, priest and clerics of Eld proclaim Eld’s grace in their cure of souls, as well as encouraging actions and work that promotes the compassion of Eld. On Aedavar, the Church of Eld is the Established Church of the world, governed by a hierarchy of clerics and bishops. The Church maintains religious buildings across Aedavar and controls the patterns and offices of worship used by clerics in their churches. The Church is governed by the Convocation of the Church (one of the three convocations of the Synod). It is led by two archbishops, with the status of primus being held by the more senior of the two. The regions of the world are divided into dioceses, each of which has a bishop. Cities and villages often have individual cathedrals or parish churches serving the local community. Churches across Aedavar are dedicated to Eld, though they may be under the patronage of other gods.